1 Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to tools for removing rivets and the like, and more specifically to portable tools for removing rivets which hold the cutting teeth to the reciprocating drive bar in a sickle mower.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore, various tools have been developed for removing rivets and the like. See, for example, Crompton, U.S. Pat. No. 1,299,134; Johnson et al, U.S. Pat. No. 1,808,041; Aitken, U.S. Pat. No. 3,138,977 and Johnson et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,234,634. None of the above patents disclose or suggest the present invention.
Each cutting tooth of a typical sickle mower is usually individually mounted on the reciprocating drive bar of the sickle mower by one or more rivets. Often, these individual cutting teeth become broken, bent, blunt or the like and must be replaced. To replace such cutting teeth, the rivets holding each individual cutting tooth to the reciprocating drive bar of the sickle mower must be removed. Although various tools have been developed to remove such rivets as evidenced by the Crompton U.S. Pat. No. 1,299,134, Johnson U.S. Pat. No. 1,808,041, and Johnson U.S. Pat. No. 3,234,634, the most common way of removing such rivets is with a hammer and chisel. This is because all the prior tools have been disadvantageous for one reason or another. Crompton U.S. Pat. No. 1,299,134 and Johnson U.S. Pat. No. 1,808,041 are disadvantageous since they do not easily allow the rivets holding the cutting teeth to the reciprocating drive bar of a sickle mower to be broken while the sickle mower is at the work site. That is, Crompton U.S. Pat. No. 1,299,134 and Johnson U.S. Pat. No. 1,808,041 are designed for use where the sickle blade (i.e., the individual cutting teeth and the reciprocating drive bar) are removed from the remainder of the sickle mower and brought into a workshop or the like thereby resulting in the sickle mower being out of service for extended periods. While Johnson U.S. Pat. No. 3,234,634 allows such rivets to be removed while the sickle mower is at the work site and while the sickle blade is attached to the remainder of the sickle mower, it is disadvantageous in that it is slow working and the rivet engaging end 39 of the punch element 29 thereof is easily broken if not properly aligned with the rivet to be removed.